Detailed Results
Before SmackDown Live officially got underway, AJ Styles would address a group of SmackDown Live Superstars in the locker room as “The Phenomenal One” as Styles declares that “The Face That Runs The Place” is here. Styles then says that, at SummerSlam, he did exactly what he said he was going to do when he beat John Cena before AJ takes out Cena’s armband on puts it on his head. As Baron Corbin, Erick Rowan, Apollo Crews, and Rhyno glare at AJ Styles, Styles says that he doesn’t want them forgetting that he is “The Face That Runs The Place”. AJ then confronts Dolph Ziggler, who had been paying no attention to “The Phenomenal One”, ridiculing Dolph for losing at SummerSlam. However, when Styles gets in Dolph’s face and says that he doesn’t like “losers”, Ziggler had heard enough as Dolph headbutts Styles, getting a few right hands in on AJ before Styles leaves the locker room with Superstars and referees keeping Dolph from chasing after Styles as Ziggler shouts at AJ to mind his own business.
SmackDown Live then officially gets underway with several SmackDown Live Superstars in the ring as Nikki Bella, Carmella, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Naomi, The Ascension, Breezango, The Vaudevillains, The Hype Bros, The Usos, & American Alpha are all in the ring admiring what has been placed in front of them as the new SmackDown Live tag team titles and the new SmackDown Live Women’s title are on display! SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon and SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan then make their way to the ring as Shane says that they agreed to give the Superstars of SmackDown Live “opportunity” and they have a huge opportunity in front of them.
Daniel first addresses the SmackDown Live Women’s Division, talking to Becky Lynch, Carmella, Natalya, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, & Nikki Bella as the GM says that he and Shane believe that they are all “championship caliber talent”. Daniel then says that they want to find out which one of them is going to be the first ever SmackDown Women’s Champion. Shane then announces that they are going to find out the answer to that question in just under three weeks at Backlash as Becky Lynch, Natalya, Naomi, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, & Nikki Bella will compete in the first ever Women’s Six Pack Challenge to determine the first ever SmackDown Women’s Champion!
Shane then addresses the tag team division, telling The Usos, The Hype Bros, The Vaudevillains, The Ascension, Breezango, and American Alpha that the first ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions will also be determined at Backlash. Daniel then announces that they are going to have a Tag Team Title Tournament that will culminate at Backlash and that tournament will start tonight! However, the GM is then interrupted by “the hottest free agent in sports entertainment” Heath Slater who enters the ring, saying that he “forgives” Shane and Daniel, saying that they should give him the chance to win some gold. Daniel responds by telling Slater that he isn’t exactly “equipped” to challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Heath mockingly laughs at Daniel’s joke before saying that he is “not a woman”, saying that he’s talking about the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Shane then informs Heath that he’s not equipped to compete for the tag team titles either since he’s not under contract to SmackDown Live and he also does not have a tag team partner. Slater scoffs at Shane, saying that he could go in the back and he can find someone to be his tag team partner, guaranteeing that he and his partner can enter the tournament and win. Daniel decides to give Slater another chance, saying that, if Heath is able to find a tag team partner by the end of the night, then he will add Slater and his partner to the tournament! Shane then raises the stakes, telling Heath Slater that the only way he is going to get a SmackDown Live contract is if Heath and his tag team partner can win the entire tournament and become the SmackDown Tag Team Champions! Slater accepts, saying that Shane and Daniel will not “regret” this, assuring them that he will find a partner by the end of the night.
However, the interruptions did not stop with Heath Slater as a disgruntled AJ Styles makes his way down the ramp, briefly stopping to yell at Heath Slater that he’s not going to be his tag team partner. AJ then begins to say that they need to be talking about him, but Styles is ambushed by Dolph Ziggler, sparking a brawl between the two. At the orders of Shane, the tag teams in the ring exit the ring to break up the fight.
Following the announcement that there will be a Women’s Six Pack Challenge at Backlash to crown the first ever SmackDown Women’s Champion, the opening match of the night would see “The Irish Lass Kicker” Becky Lynch square off with Alexa Bliss, with Natalya and Naomi guests on commentary. In the end, it was Becky Lynch locking in the Dis-Arm-Her, making Alexa Bliss tap out to pick up the win.
The SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament would then get underway as The Usos would face The Ascension in the First Round of the tournament. In the end, it was Jimmy Uso hitting the Samoan Splash on Viktor, pinning Viktor to pick up the win as The Usos advance in the tournament to crown the first ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
After a rough night already following two brawls with Dolph Ziggler, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles would make his way to the ring to address his victory over John Cena at SummerSlam. Styles says that he sees a lot of “jealous faces” in the locker room because of what he did at SummerSlam, saying that he did exactly what he said he was going to do. AJ then says that they don’t have to be John Cena fans anymore, they can be AJ Styles fans before repeatedly declaring that he is the “face that runs this place” and he should be the #1 Contender for the WWE World Championship. Still looking for a fight, Dolph Ziggler comes down the ramp, being held back by agents and referees. This brings out SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan, who says that he agrees that Styles should be the #1 Contender before saying that, even though he lost, Dolph came so close to becoming the WWE World Champion.
The GM then says that it seems like Styles and Ziggler want to fight and everyone in attendance wants to see them fight before Daniel makes it official, announcing that Dolph Ziggler will go one-on-one with AJ Styles tonight on SmackDown Live. Daniel then adds that, if AJ wins, then Styles will challenge Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship in a one-on-one match at Backlash and, if Dolph wins, then Ziggler will get added to the title match and it will become a Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Championship at Backlash!
Following her surprise return at SummerSlam, returning after undergoing neck surgery in January, one of the most dominant female competitors in WWE history would make her SmackDown Live debut as Nikki Bella would go one-on-one with Carmella. Before the match, Nikki Bella would get interviewed by Renee Young about her career-threatening neck injury, but the interview is abruptly halted when Carmella attacks Nikki from behind! Carmella would hammer away at Nikki before blasting Bella with a kick to the face. Carmella then hits Nikki with an STO before continuing to beat Nikki down until referees come out to break it up. However, Carmella would come back to the ring, using Nikki’s own move against her by planting Bella with the Bella Buster! Carmella then leaves the ring with a smile on her face as referees check on Nikki Bella, who is holding her surgically repaired neck.
For the first time since being savagely assaulted by Brock Lesnar during their match at SummerSlam where a pair of unprotected elbow shots to the skull left him bloody and knocked out and requiring ten staples to the head, “The Viper” Randy Orton would make an appearance on SmackDown Live. Orton says that he was in one hell of a fight against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, saying that he would have rather been hauled out on a “stretcher” than have the match end the way that it did. Orton then says that, by entering the ring at SummerSlam, Shane McMahon thought he was doing the right thing and he may have done the right thing.
“The Viper” then says that he and Brock’s paths will cross again, but that is when Orton is interrupted by the arrival of Bray Wyatt as “The Eater of Worlds” would make his way to ringside, sitting in his rocking chair and blowing out his lantern. Bray then addresses Randy Orton, saying that he saw what Brock Lesnar did to Orton at SummerSlam, telling Orton that he is “just a man”. Bray then says that Orton is a man who “suffers” and a man who “dies” before saying that he is not a man, he is a “god” and a god can “never die”. Bray then concludes by saying that Orton will find out all about him “in time”. Wyatt then stands up, taking off his jacket before the lights go out and, when the lights come back on, Bray is nowhere to be found.
Backstage, Shane McMahon is interviewed about being on the receiving end of the F-5 by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. When asked if his sister Stephanie will take punishing Brock Lesnar seriously, Shane says that the RAW Commissioner will not take it seriously. Shane then reveals that Stephanie’s punishment for Brock was a simple $500 fine before saying that neither Stephanie nor Brock are taking it “seriously”. When Shane continues to get questioned about the incident, Shane declares that the issue between himself and Brock Lesnar “is not over”.
In the locker room, Heath Slater is talking to WWE Hall of Famer and tag team specialist Arn Anderson, trying to convince the Hall of Famer to be his tag team partner. However, when Heath mentions that Arn was his last choice, Anderson turns down the offer. Just when it looked like Heath would not find a tag team partner in time, he is confronted by the man who beat him on SmackDown Live a couple of weeks ago in Rhyno! Much to the delight of Heath Slater, Rhyno agrees to be Slater’s tag team partner!
Another First Round match in the SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament would take place on SmackDown Live as American Alpha would face Breezango with the winning team advancing to the Semi-Finals. In the end, it was American Alpha hitting Grand Amplitude on Tyler Breeze with Chad Gable pinning Breeze for the win as American Alpha advances to the Semi-Finals of the tournament to crown the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
Then it was time for the main event as, with WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose a guest on commentary, “The Show Off” Dolph Ziggler would go one-on-one with “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles and, if Dolph wins, he will be added to the WWE World Championship match at Backlash. Towards the end of an excellent match between two of the best in-ring performers on SmackDown Live, Dolph Ziggler would connect with the Zig Zag to AJ Styles, but AJ was just barely able to kick out to keep the match alive. Shortly after this, AJ was able to dodge a super kick from Ziggler, kicking the middle rope into the leg of Dolph before hitting the Styles Clash, pinning Ziggler to pick up the win and ensure that the match for the WWE World Championship at Backlash remains one-on-one. After the match, AJ Styles would exit the ring to confront the champion, taking the headset off of Dean Ambrose, leading to a face-off between champion and challenger with Styles smiling at Ambrose before backing off.
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